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Finishing a wooden staircase: the hardest-worn surface in the house

A staircase is lacquered with Mylac Satin — or two-pack Mylac Extra for the heaviest traffic — in 2 to 3 coats 3 to 4 hours apart, or oiled with Hard Wax Oil in two thin coats 24 hours apart for a finish that repairs locally. On an old stair, Shellac Barrier Seal for Floors first blocks the old waxes and oils. You work every other tread so the stair stays usable, the handrail is finished with Hard Wax Oil or Quick Dry Varnish, and the risers can be painted. Light use after 24 hours, full hardness in 7 days.

Page updated September 2026 · by the Mylands France woodcare specialists

The choice

Lacquer or oil: two logics for a staircase

A staircase takes everything a floor takes, concentrated on thirty centimetres of width: heels, grit, knocks, the foot pivoting on the nosing. Two families stand up to this regime.

The film: Mylac. A water-based floor lacquer, 100 % polyurethane, designed for BS 7044 slip resistance — which matters on a tread. Mylac Satin, single-pack, for a house; Mylac Extra, two-pack with its hardener, for a communal stair, a shop or a large family. A hard, washable film.

Penetration: Hard Wax Oil. A hard wax oil that goes into the wood, leaves a matt feel and repairs locally: a scratched tread is lightly sanded and dabbed with oil, without redoing the stair. Less film, more upkeep. The detail: Varnish or lacquer? and Hard wax oil, explained.

Heavy traffic · Mylac Extra MattHome · Mylac SatinRepairable · Hard Wax Oil NaturalOld stair · Shellac Barrier Seal for Floors

The method

Lacquering a staircase in seven moves

  1. 01

    Sand the treads, grit by grit

    Remove any old finish, then sand along the grain, from 120-150 up to a perfectly smooth surface at 220 for a lacquer. Vacuum, then tack cloth: the slightest dust makes a nib in the film.

  2. 02

    On an old stair, the Shellac Barrier Seal

    An old stair has been waxed, oiled, grimed: Shellac Barrier Seal for Floors is a quick-drying primer that blocks that contamination under the Mylac and gives it more depth.

  3. 03

    Every other tread

    Mask and number: odd treads first, even treads next. You go up stepping over the fresh treads, and the stair never closes.

  4. 04

    First coat of Mylac, with a synthetic brush

    Mylac Satin ready to use; Mylac Extra catalysed 10 to 1 with its hardener, to be used within about 2 hours. Synthetic brush, along the grain, without over-brushing. Cool, dry room: humidity gives a milky white bloom.

  5. 05

    De-nib with 220, second and third coats

    After 3 to 4 hours the coat is touch-dry: de-nib with stearated paper up to 220 grit to remove dust nibs, dust off, recoat. 2 to 3 coats in all, always 3 to 4 hours between each.

  6. 06

    The other half of the treads, then the handrail

    Repeat the sequence on the remaining treads. The handrail, which hands polish, is finished with Hard Wax Oil in two thin coats 24 hours apart, excess wiped off at once, or with Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom Satin by brush, 3 to 4 hours between coats.

  7. 07

    24 hours in socks, 7 days of care

    Light use after 24 hours, full hardness after 7 days: no furniture carried, no washing before then. After that, a soft cloth and a very mild soap solution, never a silicone aerosol.

Four staircases

Four staircases, four finishes

01

1. An oak staircase in Mylac Satin

The stair of a family house: oak sanded and grain-filled, three coats of Mylac Satin 3 to 4 hours apart. The satin keeps the figure of the oak, hides footmarks better than a gloss and washes with a soft cloth. The commonest finish, and the safest.

Treads · Mylac Satin

03

3. A pine staircase in Hard Wax Oil Natural

A country stair in pine, sanded to 120-150 and no finer, two thin coats of Hard Wax Oil Natural 24 hours apart, excess removed at once. A matt feel, and a single tread repairs: light sanding, a dab of oil, no join.

Treads · Hard Wax Oil Natural

Part by part

Which product for which part of the stair

PartProductCoats and timingWorth knowing
Treads, home Mylac Satin (or Matt, Gloss) 2 to 3 coats, 3 to 4 hours between each; de-nib 220 BS 7044 slip resistance; light use 24 hours, hardness 7 days
Treads, heavy traffic Mylac Extra Matt or Satin Matt As above, catalysed 10 to 1, pot life about 2 hours Two-pack, 4.5 L + 500 ml hardener
Treads, repairable finish Hard Wax Oil Natural or tinted 2 thin coats, 24 hours between; touch-dry 6 to 8 hours Sand to 120-150, no finer; full cure 7 to 10 days
Handrail Hard Wax Oil or Quick Dry Varnish Kitchen and Bathroom Hard Wax Oil: 2 coats 24 hours apart; varnish: 3 to 4 hours between coats Hands polish it: a feel rather than a gloss
Risers Multi-surface paint See the paint guide Refreshing interior woodwork
Old stair, first of all Shellac Barrier Seal for Floors Quick-drying primer, under the Mylac Blocks old waxes and oils; adds depth

Upkeep afterwards: Floor Cleaner or a damp cloth on an oiled tread, a soft cloth and very mild soap on a lacquered one. See Caring for an oiled or varnished wooden floor.

To avoid

What damages a finished staircase

  • Walking on it too soon. A Mylac is touch-dry in 3 to 4 hours, not hard: light use after 24 hours, full hardness in 7 days. A Hard Wax Oil: no heavy traffic for 24 hours, full cure in 7 to 10 days.
  • Mylac straight onto an old waxed stair. The wax lifts into the film, which does not hold. Shellac Barrier Seal first.
  • A damp room. The milky white bloom of a lacquer applied in humid weather does not clear on its own. Cool, dry room.
  • Wax on the treads. It slips — on a stair, that is dangerous — and Mylands does not recommend it on floors.
  • Excess oil in the corners. A Hard Wax Oil left pooled against the riser dries tacky. Wipe at once, paying attention to the corners.

Frequently asked

Your questions, our answers

Mylac Satin or Mylac Extra for a house staircase?

Mylac Satin, single-pack, is enough for a family stair: the same BS 7044 slip resistance, the same method. Mylac Extra, two-pack with hardener, is for the heaviest traffic — communal stair, shop, practice — or for anyone who does not want to come back to it.

Matt, satin or gloss on treads?

Satin is the compromise: it shows marks less than gloss and washes better than matt. Gloss demands perfect preparation and shows everything. The detail in Matt, satin or gloss on wood.

Can the treads be oiled and the rest lacquered?

Yes, as long as the two are not mixed on the same part. Treads in Hard Wax Oil and a handrail in Quick Dry Varnish, or the reverse, combine well. A Mylac does not go over a Hard Wax Oil, nor a Hard Wax Oil over a Mylac.

How long is the staircase out of use?

Never completely, if you work every other tread. Allow two days: each half gets its 2 to 3 coats 3 to 4 hours apart, then 24 hours before light use. In socks for the first week.

How do I repair a scratched tread later?

Oiled: light sanding of the area, a dab of fresh Hard Wax Oil, no join. Lacquered: a fine scratch is revived with burnishing cream, a deep one needs the whole tread de-nibbed and recoated. See Scratches, white rings and water marks.

See also

Further reading

How to varnish a wooden floor with Mylac Two to three coats of Mylac 3 to 4 hours apart, in a cool dry room: the varnished floor, move by move. How to oil a wooden floor Two thin coats of Hard Wax Oil, 24 hours between them, 7 to 10 days to cure: the oiled floor, move by move. Caring for an oiled or varnished wooden floor The weekly wash, the coat that revives, the scratch that repairs: two finishes, two logics, one cleaner. Panelled door and its architrave painted a mid grey-green in eggshell, in a warm white wall, oak floor, window light Refreshing interior woodwork The quickest project that changes a room the most: six colour ideas for doors, skirting and windows.

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